Over the years, many systems have been developed for the identification and confirmatory reporting of the existence of certain Neisseria bacteria species. Such testing has become more and more prevalent in more recent years as a result of the increase in the spread of social diseases.
Tests have also been, based on prior research, made for a generation of information relating to resistance or sensitivity of such Neisseria bacteria species to such antibiotics as penicillin or ampicillin. These tests involve subjecting the suspected specimen to a penicillin component, for example, sodium or potassium salts of penicillin G. If the specimen suspension cells possess the beta lactamase enzyme, penicilloic, acid will be produced and the pH indicator in the suspension will change from a red to a yellow color, no color change occurring if the cells do not possess the beta lactamase enzyme.
In connection with the prior art methods of identity testing for such Neisseria bacteria species, three procedures appear to dominate the testing field. The first type of testing is generally referred to as the carbohydrate oxidation test procedures, examples of which are the Cystine Trypticase Soy Agag method (CTSA); Minitek Neisseria test discussed in Hampton, K. D., R. A. Stallings and B. L. Wasilauskas; 1979 comparison of a Slide Coagglutination Technique with the Minitek System for Confirmation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae/J. Clin. Microbiology 10:290-292; the rapid fermentation test discussed in Kellogg D. S. Jr., and E. M. Turner. 1973. Rapid Fermentation Confirmation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Applied Microbiol, 25:550-552; and the radioisotope detection of labeled carbohydrates discussed in Strauss, R. R., J. Holderback and H. Friedman, 1978. Comparison of the Radiometric Procedure with Conventional Methods for Identification of Neisseria. J. Clinical Microbiol. 7:419-422.
The second type of tests involve the fluorescent antibody methods of staining individual Neisseria bacteria providing thereby identities of individual species. A third general method is the serological agglutination techniques also used to identify individual species of Neisseria.
One of the shortcomings of utilization of the carbohydrate oxidation type tests is the length of time required for completion of tests.
Since these carbohydrate oxidation tests involve use of visual identification based on color change to indicate the results of the tests, human error may allow color vision defective individuals reading the end results of the tests to make errors. In addition, some of these carbohydrate oxidation tests require an absolutely pure culture or can identify only a single type of Neisseria pathogen or require expensive equipment.
Moreover, as far as can be determined, none of the existing carbohydrate oxidation tests couple visual identification of the presence of Neisseria bacteria species with a beta lactamase enzyme detection test.